After having one of their worst birthday celebrations where they were nailed 1-0 by Sekhukhune United on Saturday, Kaizer Chiefs are still licking their wounds and are in the Banana City preparing for the start of the 2022/23 DStv Premiership second-round campaign.
They will face AmaZulu in what is expected to be a humdinger league clash at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Friday. Kick-off is at 7.30pm.
Usuthu knocked Chiefs out of the MTN8 cup in 2022 and Amakhosi fans are still seeking revenge. The score in the first leg was 1-1 in Johannesburg and AmaZulu frustrated Amakhosi in the goalless draw in the second leg played in KwaZulu-Natal.
With the first-half of the season completed, Chiefs and AmaZulu will use the remaining 15 games to try and improve their position on the log, with the matches coming thick and fast between January and May.
Both teams are reeling from losing their matches over the weekend. Chiefs dropped points against Sekhukhune while Usuthu lost 2-0 to Royal AM in the KwaZulu-Natal derby on Sunday.
Friday’s game will be the two teams’ fourth official meeting of the current season. They met in a league encounter in September and then faced off in two MTN8 semi-final clashes. All three matches were drawn, which makes Friday’s fixture a must-win for both Chiefs and AmaZulu.
Amakhosi were last in Durban just over a week ago when they beat Golden Arrows 2-0 at the same venue. The Phefeni Glamour Boys will want a repeat of the result, as they desperately need three points following Saturday’s disappointment.
Chiefs are still in fourth position on the DStv Premiership log, with 24 points after 15 matches. The hosts, AmaZulu, are 12th, with 18 points collected from 15 games.
With some players recovering from injuries, Chiefs coach Arthur Zwane is expected to have more options in his team selection for this important outing.
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